Number 16
by Merisel
Summary: Inspired by Bumblebee, Ratchet decides to create his own holoform...with some help. This is a followup to the funny crackfic 'Summer Lovin' by Shadows Light Warning: This is NC17 Smut alert!


"Primus, are they at it again?" Ironhide grumbled as he returned early to the Autobot base. A variety of noises could be heard as he rolled up to the building, many of them high-pitched and definitely made by a human female. Couldn't they find a more private location, preferably far from here? He transformed and stalked over to an open window, intending to complain, loudly. To his immense surprise, however, it was not the pair he expected to see.

34 minutes ago

A large cloud of dust kicked up as Maggie reached the Autobot base, her faded blue Corvette skidding to a stop in the loose gravel. _They really should see about some proper paving here, _she thought, glancing up at the blazing mid-afternoon sun. She hated driving when it was so bloody hot out, but on the plus side Ratchet had given her an excuse to skip out of a long, boring meeting. She'd been surprised when he called, tapping into her cell phone to contact her and ask her to come over. He'd never done that before, and wouldn't say why, which deepened the mystery. He also sounded very distracted; hopefully the problem wasn't too serious.

The large greenish-yellow Autobot had been having difficulty adjusting to living on Earth. He was a bit slower to grasp American culture than his comrades, due to his habit of over-analyzing small details, so she'd volunteered to try to explain things in simple terms, as much as she was able to. She made time to come out here at least twice a week, usually more. In return, she was learning a great deal about the Autobots and their former homeworld, Cybertron. All-in-all, it'd been well worth the move out to California. She certainly wasn't going to miss Washington, it's government officials, and their shady ethics.

Once the dust finally settled, Maggie got out and went inside, taking off her sunglasses and tucking them into her purse. "Ratchet?"

"I'm in the 'pad'," he answered, using Sam Witwicky's nickname for the living area, and she headed in that direction.

The living room was huge, like all the others here, and catered to the Autobots' human friends. There was a large refrigerator in one corner, and four metal tables had been set up near the windows. Each one had a complete computer system sitting on it. Glen, in a fit of paranoia, had shoved his table over to the far wall, away from the others, and had even plastered his name on top the monitor. Never mind that all he used his computer for was to download and burn music, dozens of cds' worth, to play for Jazz. More than once Optimus had sent them outside for their efforts to break the sound barrier.

A plush, green suede sectional faced one of the largest televisions that Maggie had ever seen. Just where that monstrosity came from remained a mystery to her. The Autobots seemed reluctant to talk about that. Ratchet was standing in front of it, one hand resting over the front of the satellite box as he skimmed through the hundreds of channels. That was unusual. The only Autobots she'd ever seen watching the telly were Jazz and Bumblebee.

"Good afternoon, Maggie Madsen."

"Now, haven't I told you to just call me Maggie?" She smiled. Every once in a while Ratchet reverted to formality, for no reason she's been able to figure out. It was just one of his quirks.

"Maggie," Ratchet corrected, pleased that she had come so quickly.

"That's better." She sat on the sofa, putting her purse down next to her. "What are you doing?"

"Researching."

"Researching what?" she asked, her curiosity piqued. Every channel he paused on showed a young male, then he would make a discontented sound and continue skimming. Just what was he looking for?

"I've been gathering information for what you would call a 'holoform', in English." He turned the television off, giving up for now. None of the images he had seen during this hour's programming really suited him.

"Holoform? You mean like a hologram?"

"Somewhat. But our holoforms are more than just mere projections," Ratchet told her, for once not giving a technical, detailed explanation. He paused, then added matter-of-factly, "Bumblebee has been using his to mate with Mikaela Banes."

"Wh--what?" Maggie stammered, taken aback. That had to be the weirdest news... Well, not the weirdest, considering the past year's events, but it was peculiar all the same. "Is that even possible?"

"Actually, yes, it is. A holoform can be as solid and life-like as a real human," Ratchet said, observing Maggie. Her pulse was starting to increase. "We were quite surprised by Bumblebee's--creativity."

"Wow," she managed, then shook her head at herself. Why was she so surprised, anyway? Bumblebee does spend a lot of time with Sam and Mikaela. It was perfectly understandable if feelings stronger than friendship happened to develop between them. But did Sam know? At any rate, she sincerely hoped that they were happy together. However long it lasts.

Ratchet nodded. "Holoforms are...extensions of our disguises, but rarely used. I personally have never felt the need for one, before now."

That was true enough. Ratchet had simply tinted his vehicle's windows, so he didn't have to worry about being seen driver-less on the road. "But now you want one?"

"Yes. But I did not think it wise to ask Mikaela Banes for assistance, under the circumstances."

'Under the circumstances'? "Wait a minute. Is that why you asked me to come over? To help you...try out this holoform thing?" She shook her head in disbelief. No way. He can't possibly be asking what she thought he was asking. Could he? "Just how long have you been planning this?"

"Approximately sixty-four hours. In between my normal duties, of course." Ratchet explained, concerned by her raised voice. "And I do not have a holoform yet."

"But why me? Couldn't you have asked someone else?"

His blue optics widened, then he blinked, his expression guileless. "I do not know any other females here."

Maggie started to reply, but stopped short, her temper quickly cooling. The Autobots really only had a scant handful of friends, and wisely followed their instincts about fully trusting the government. They had no choice but to hide from everyone else, which was practically the entire population on Earth. God, that was an incredibly depressing thought. They were living beings, after all, and had feelings much like humans do. Maybe even more so, actually. It shouldn't be a shock that they might be lonely. She firmly told herself to stop over-reacting. All Ratchet was asking for was help creating a 'projection'. What was the harm in that? It was obviously important to him, and she wasn't one to let a friend down. "Ok, so you're having trouble deciding what you want your holoform to look like. Is that it?"

"To start with, yes," he readily agreed, relieved that she was calmer now. He hadn't meant to offend her. _Humans can be unpredictable at times, _Ratchet reminded himself. "The others are not due to return until early evening, so we will not be interrupted."

Maggie hesitated, then shrugged. "All right. I'll try to help you with that."

"Thank you, Maggie," Ratchet said, the closest thing she's seen to a smile coming to his metallic face.

She smiled back at him. "Ok, to start with, no more television. If you want to find the perfect model, you have to think outside Hollywood." she told him, getting up and going over to one of the tables to boot up the computer.

Ratchet nodded, moving to stand behind her and watching intently.

Out of habit, Maggie started surfing the Web for young Australian actors. She checked out a good dozen before lingering on one she'd secretly had a crush on last year, before learning he'd gotten married.

Over her shoulder, Ratchet studied the image. Some of the proportions were difficult to discern, due to the baggy shorts the human male was wearing. He searched his memory for an earlier image to finish the scan.

Maggie was about to move on to someone else when she heard the sound of Ratchet transforming. Turning in the chair, she was surprised to see the Autobot in his vehicle mode, five feet away. "Why--" she began.

"It is easier to maintain the holoform this way," he informed her, just as one materialized right next to her. It was a near-exact replica of the actor she'd just looked at, right down to the wavy, tawny-brown hair. The only difference was the eyes. They were Ratchet's own bright blue, instead of golden brown, and they gave the holoform an exotic look.

Wide-eyed, Maggie stared at him a moment, then swallowed hard. "Uh... Maybe not that one..."

"Why not?" Ratchet asked. "It's not what you prefer?"

"But.. Well, yes, it is," she had to admit, mentally kicking herself._ Well, in for a penny, in for a pound, as the saying goes, _Maggie thought ruefully, looking down at her clasped hands for a moment. "Okay, now, if you could take off the clothes?"

When she looked back up, she noticed that his shirt and shorts seemed to have vanished. She glanced over at the yellow Hummer. They must have been reabsorbed somehow by the Autobot. She turned back to Ratchet's holoform, who was waiting patiently for further advice. "Ok, I think your skin should be a little darker. Sort of an olive color."

The modification was made in less than a second.

"Right. Now, the arms and shoulders should be more muscular." Again, the change was made instantly. Maggie cleared her throat, steeling herself before studying the rest of him. His chest was just fine, as was his lower half. Almost. There was one last finishing touch to make. "This..." she pointed, struggling in vain not to blush. "Needs to be bigger."

"As you wish." Ratchet complied, sensing that she was attracted to this form, despite her effort to conceal it.

"Right... Ok, I think that about does it."

"Thank you, Maggie." A wide smile crossed the holoform's face; he was gaining more control over it's expressions.

"You're welcome." She rubbed her palms on her skirt, trying to think of something else to say. Ratchet solved that dilemma by pulling her up out of the chair and kissing her. It wasn't a bad kiss, not by any measure, but still, it caught her off guard and she jerked back. "What was that?"

"That was a kiss," Ratchet said, logically. "Also known as osculation, buchu, beso--"

"Ok, hold on. Stop," Maggie interrupted, before he could go through every language on earth. "What I want to know is why."

"Why?" he repeated, genuinely puzzled by her reaction. Had he not make it obvious? "Your pheromone level indicates a desire to mate."

_Oh, he would bring biology into it! _she thought. "That's not the point! Ratchet... You don't just invite someone over and then ask for sex."

"It is how some humans seek a companion," he replied, defensive now, a frown starting to form on his face. It was no fault of his that there were a number of other customs, many of which were needlessly complicated, and often contradicted others. This was simply the most straightforward method he'd found during his research. He was annoyed with himself for the apparent misjudgment. Perhaps his processors needed maintenance.

"Well, so is clubbing." Maggie bit her tongue, realizing how absurd it was to even mention things like nightclubs to him, or any other Autobot, for that matter. "Why me?" she asked again. "Is it because Mikaela's spoken for now?"

Ratchet's frown deepened and he crossed his arms. Again she brought up Mikaela. Was it one of those strange rivalries that humans liked to indulge in? "I have no interest in anyone else," he firmly declared.

Maggie stared at him, momentarily speechless. This entire conversation would actually have been hilarious, coming from anyone else. Ratchet, though, wasn't the type to joke around. He was dead serious about this, and she just insulted him. "Sorry..."

He nodded, but remained silent. Maggie could tell he was very disappointed; it was practically radiating from him.

Why did she have to make his holoform so damn gorgeous, anyway? Was her subconscious at work, or what? The last time she'd done something even remotely this impulsive, she'd ended up thrown down and handcuffed by the FBI. She was damn lucky she wasn't spending the rest of her life behind bars. On the other hand... At least there would be no consequences this time. She would never have anything to fear from the Autobots. God, she must be losing her mind to actually be considering this. "Just--just what do you know about..human mating, anyway?" Maggie heard herself ask.

"I have done extensive research," Ratchet reminded her, moving to the next computer.. Maggie scooted her chair over to watch as he manually typed in a web address. His fingers moved much faster than a normal human's would. "This website was very informative."

Her mouth immediately went bone-dry at all the pictures on the screen. _Good God... _All were of couples demonstrating various positions, live and in widescreen. They were even numbered. "Oh..." was all she could utter.

"It is quite fascinating," Ratchet remarked. Maggie's heart rate was considerably faster now, and he wasn't sure if that was a positive sign or not. He prudently closed the webpage and moved back from the computer. "--are you well?"

Maggie nodded mutely, her mind still reeling from those incredibly provocative images. They gave her a tremendous urge to throw caution to the wind and just go for it. Her last one-nighter had been almost a year ago; she could barely remember his name now. Long-term relationships just weren't her thing. Most guys were way too demanding and immature. Ratchet was vastly more intelligent than any of them. Not to mention he was always honest, if a bit too bluntly so at times. That was one of the things she found so appealing about him.

_Oh, why the hell not?_ she asked herself. What is there to worry about, anyway? Nothing at all, which made the idea all the more tempting. Maggie stood and turned around, facing Ratchet. "All right."

"You've 'changed your mind'?" Ratchet asked, using a phrase he's heard Sam mention more than once when talking to Mikaela.

She nodded. "Yes. But only this one time. Okay?"

"Very well," he readily agreed, although he was disappointed by the condition.

"Ok. Good." Ratchet's eyes seemed to brighten slightly, but he also looked a little wary. Probably wondering if she was going to change her mind again. Maggie stepped closer to him and rested a hand on his left shoulder. His skin felt cool under her palm, and she lightly squeezed the firm muscles. He felt so real... Her hand drifted down his chest.

Ratchet responded by again pulling her into his arms and kissing her. She didn't pull away this time, and he deepened the kiss, his hands moving up to her hair, examining the soft texture.

Maggie let her own hands glide up and down his back. His skin felt heated now, a physical reaction to their...activity. But not the most obvious one, she noticed, as she pressed up against him. Ratchet hadn't been exaggerating about the holoform being life-like. Caught up in the kiss now, she wasn't aware of being moved back until she bumped into the table behind her. Catching her breath, she watched him use one hand to easily sweep the computer equipment over to the adjoining table, out of the way. Even in holoform he possessed a great deal of strength, maybe even comparable to his robotic form.

A small thrill shot up her spine as his hands encircled her waist, lifting her up and setting her down on the table. His fingers slid under the bottom of her shirt, slowly pulling it up. Maggie raised her arms, and the shirt was slipped off and tossed aside. She started to undo her belt, but Ratchet brushed her hands away and removed it himself. _So he likes being in charge... _Maggie lifted an eyebrow, then shrugged, letting him have his way. A few seconds later the rest of her clothes lay in a pile on the chair.

Ratchet cupped her face with one hand, lifting her chin up as he kissed her again. Kissing, he decided, was rapidly becoming one of his favorite human customs. And from the sounds he heard from her, she was enjoying it very much, too.

After two full minutes, Maggie had to tug on his hair to let him know she needed a breather. She took a deep breath, then gasped when he moved down to her neck, kissing the sensitive skin there. "Ratchet..." she moaned, her hand pressing against the back of his head now. God, that felt so _good._

"Yes," he whispered, and moved to the other side of her neck, tilting her head slightly as he gave it the same attention. She shivered as he moved across her collarbone. Ratchet paused then and gently pressed her down onto the table. She clutched at his shoulders, moaning, when he moved down to her breasts, both his mouth and his hands exploring thoroughly. A delicious heat coursed it's way through her veins, making her tremble. It felt as if he was mapping every inch of her body.

He worked his way down to her stomach, laying a hand on her hip when she arched up from the table. Another sensitive area. Slowly moving further down, he took note of which ones were merely ticklish, and which made her squirm and moan with pleasure. That information was then stored away. A minute later he discovered two of her most sensitive spots, directly behind the knees. Her pheromones filled his sensors as she shuddered, crying out under his ministrations.

"God, Ratch', please!" Maggie begged, jerking upright, ready to literally leap off that table.

He straightened and swiftly moved up over Maggie, pressing her back down onto the table. Closely monitoring Maggie's vital signs, his mouth captured hers as he slowly entered her. She kissed back wildly, moaning and arching up against him. Ratchet set a fast pace, his movements powerful and carefully controlled. She cried out again, arms wrapped tightly around him. It took nineteen seconds for her to peak. A low growl escaped him and he pushed deeper, mimicking a human male's release. He slowed then, drawing out the experience as long as possible.

Maggie blinked dazedly as the tremors gradually subsided. "That...that was..." she trailed off, her brain not quite ready to work properly yet.

"Number sixteen," Ratchet finished, sounding very pleased with himself.

She couldn't help but laugh. "And incredible, fantastic, amazing, ma--..." Her litany was interrupted when he kissed her.

"--marvelous," Maggie finished a couple minutes later.

"Indeed," he murmured, leisurely kissing the side of her neck, making her shiver.

"Mm... Ratchet?"

"Yes?" He raised his head and looked at her.

She smiled up at him. "Why don't we try number eleven next?"

41 minutes later

_'Feels like I just ran the Boston Marathon,' _Maggie thought, her legs wobbling as she climbed into the back to the Hummer. She had originally wanted to just collapse on the sofa, but Ratchet had insisted she sleep in here. He didn't want anyone to disturb her. Sleep was what she desperately needed now.. A lot of it. It was either that or another triple-shot mocha. Since there were no coffee stands within fifteen miles, sleep won out. She gratefully sank down onto a surprisingly comfortable gurney. "Good night, Ratchet."

"Sleep well, Maggie," he softly replied, his voice echoing around her. The doors swung closed and Ratchet slowly rolled back to the medical bay.

Maggie smiled and closed her eyes, her last conscious thought was that this definitely was _not_ going to be a one-time thing.

"Hmph." Ironhide stood and left his seat by the window, walking toward the front entrance of the base. "That does look fun."


End file.
